My Son
by previouslysane
Summary: Paul accidentally hears Dave and Santana fighting and is suddenly faced with the fact that his son is gay. How does he react? How do two people who are bad with words talk out something like this? Also, Paul needs to be a character please.
1. Chapter 1

Paul Karofsky was an average man. He had been an average man all of his life. He'd never expected much out of his life, he believed what his father had believed, and he wasn't very adventurous. Paul loved two things: the fact that he still had a full head of hair in his late age, and his family. He had been worried about his son lately, Dave had seemed more distant and sad. He'd never been a popular one, even as a little kid Dave had trouble with his words. He was so happy when Dave introduced him to Santana. Well, he didn't really think that she was exactly Dave's type… she seemed a bit showy and controlling, but he was glad that Dave found something that would finally make him happy.

She was over now, she and Dave had gone in Dave's room and it was pretty silent. Paul was on his way downstairs when he heard it.

"Will you stop it!" Dave shouted. "I am tired of you pushing me around and acting like you can blackmail me into submission! I'm tired of feeling crushed by you and just generally shit on by your stupid obsession for Prom Queen!" Dave sounded on the brink of tears and Paul hesitated just outside the door.

"Well maybe if you just do what I say things would be easier—"

"Do you understand? Things will never be easy for me! At least you have someone to lean on, you have your damned glee club and I have no one! You tell someone and I am cast out everywhere." Dave said. "I can't hold it in anymore, Santana. I can't do it."

There was pause and a creak in the bed sounded like Dave sat down. The soft coughing noises Paul instantly recognized as Dave's sobs. He'd heard Dave cry in his room alone many times. He always wanted to go in and help him, but he never knew what to say. Paul was not good with his words either.

"So… what are you gonna do?" Santana said after a while. "Come out?" Paul frowned in confusion. Come out… outside? But that was generally a term when used for coming out as gay. Dave wasn't gay, he wished Santana wouldn't joke around with Dave's sexuality like that.

"That's not an option." Dave murmured. Wait, she was serious? Dave was serious?Is that what he's upset about? His son couldn't be…gay….

"Well, I don't want you to think of any of the other options." Santana said firmly, a second quieter creak sounded as Santana sat down on the bed.

"Why not?" His voice was scratchy. "Why can't I just end it all?"

Paul felt his heart drop into his stomach. He didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about his son like that. How could he think of… of killing himself? He knew that David had been upset lately, but he didn't know it stemmed this deeply. This was real, wasn't it? This… this gay thing?

"Because I won't let you." Santana said. It was good to know that there was someone in the world who cared about David like that. "We can do it together. You need the glee club. They could support you like you've never known. Just tell them."

"They hate me for what I did to Kurt." Dave grumbled.

"What exactly did you do to him? I know you freaked him out but—"

"I kissed him." Dave whispered so softly that Paul had to strain his ears to hear. "And it freaked him out. I— I didn't mean to like… force myself I was just… I was asking for help—" There was a shuffling in the room.

"Okay. We're going to get you something to cheer you up."

"Like what?" Dave said.

"What do all fat kids like? Hockey and burgers." Santana was really annoying, Paul decided. He was still grateful for her, even if she didn't know it. "And maybe we'll go visit the king of homosexuals later. I wasn't anticipating getting a whole sob story."

"Well you threatened to out a 'late in life gay'." Dave chuckled sadly. "There's bound to be some friction." They were walking towards the door, Paul realized that he had been frozen to the spot and quickly jumped into movement as he hid himself in the nearby guest room. He waited until the clomping of their footsteps faded and the door was closed behind them.

Paul found that he was frozen again, lost in his thoughts. He had not expected this. He had… he'd been… had he missed the signs? He recalled memories of Dave when he was four years old, asking if boys could like other boys, asking if he could hold another boy's hand like daddy holds mommy's… and Paul felt as confused has he did now. He had wanted what any father wanted for his son. He wanted Dave to grow up, get married, have kids and be happy. But to listen to his son contemplate suicide… he would settle for just the last option.

He would rather have a gay son than no son at all.


	2. Chapter 2

A Few Days Later.

Paul rang the doorbell. He didn't know who else to turn to for this kind of thing. Burt Hummel seemed to be a very strong person when it came to his son. He was certain that if he could get Burt to sit down and talk, he would become a caring helpful man. Paul didn't like to ask help for much, but this is one of those things where he had no idea how to handle it.

The door opened.

"Hello, Mr Hummel… could I please speak to you?"

Burt was frowning, but he lost it and replaced it with a slight smile.

"Yes, of course." Paul didn't know what he expected when he walked into the Hummel residence. Doilies? Magazine covers? It was comforting to know that their house was so normal. Paul Karofsky wasn't a hateful man, just an ignorant one.

"I'm going to Blaine's tomorrow and I don't think I'll be back until really late, so this is a head's up—" Kurt Hummel was in the kitchen wearing a grungy pair of work overalls. He hesitated at the sight of Paul who smiled awkwardly at Kurt and nodded. Kurt looked normal. He didn't know that Kurt wasn't completely opposed to any sort of messiness.

"Kurt works down at the shop." Burt explained. "He grew up around cars."

Kurt jumped and put his manners into place. "I'm sorry." He held his hand out to shake. "What are you doing here? Is Dave with you?"

"No, David is with his… girlfriend. I was hoping… that I could speak with your father. Alone." Paul said. Kurt jumped again, gathering his things in his arms.

"No problem, I'm sorry… I'll just… let me go." Kurt said, flustered. He left the room, a whiff of grease leaving with him.

"So, what can I do for you, Paul?" Burt said, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "I'm sorry, do you want some?" Paul declined with a slight shake of his head. His palms were sweating and he closed his eyes. Burt frowned. "Paul, is everything alright?"

Paul finally opened his mouth. "I…think…" With a shaking jaw, Paul said the sentence he never thought he'd say in his life. "I think my son is gay." Burt's eyebrows raised and his mouth opened slightly in surprise. "And I don't know what to say to him."

Burt looked around the room and then finally back at Paul. "Are you sure?"

Paul nodded. "And your son knows, I think. Dave did something to him that probably was the reason Kurt started… becoming more uncomfortable… but He doesn't want… Kurt doesn't want to out him for some reason and I'm grateful for him for it, and I know that this… that David has really caused a lot of worry on your family, but—" Paul took a shuddering breath. "But I heard him… talk about… about… death. About suicide and I—" Paul closed his eyes. "I can't lose him. I can't."

Burt sighed and put a hand on Paul's shoulder. "I don't know what to say to him. Only you know him well enough, Paul. Tell him that you'll always be there for him. Tell him that you'll love him, no matter who he loves. But Paul… tell him soon."

"I don't know what to do. I've never had to think about this, I didn't think it was an issue—"

"How did you find out?"

"He was arguing with…I don't know what that girl is to him. She's blackmailing him or something, threatening to tell everyone… She's discouraging him, telling him there's more to live for… but I don't think it'll be enough." Paul felt the sting of tears in the corner of his eyes. "I just want him to be happy. He hasn't been happy for a long time."

"Talk to him." Burt said firmly. "You need to talk to him. Talk to your wife, sit down and talk to him."

"I'm just… I'm bad with words."

"The fact that you tried will be enough for him." Burt nodded. "I mean… Kurt has always been… different. A little more… obvious… for his entire life. A guy like Dave has probably been hiding for his entire life. It must really be difficult. If you talk to him, he'll be able to be himself at home."

Paul wiped his face and sighed gruffly. "Thank you, Burt. I'm sorry for my what my son did."

"You said you knew what Dave did to Kurt? What did he do, exactly?" Burt said.

Paul licked his lips and smiled sadly. "He kissed him."


	3. Chapter 3

"David." Paul said as Dave walked down the stairs. Dave frowned right away, there was something in his father's tone of voice that made him suspicious. "Come here, son."

"Did I do something? Am I in trouble?" Dave frowned.

"No." Paul said, he smiled softly. "Is everything okay?"

"…Is everything…" Dave looked extremely confused. "Yeah. Everything is fine, dad. I'm going to be late. I'm meeting Santana."

"David, are you gay?" Paul blurted. Dave took a step back as he reeled in shock. Paul was so frank. "I… I'm sorry, I'm bad at these things, I probably should've… been a little bit… gentler or something."

"What are you talking about, I'm not gay." Dave whispered, his eyes soft with fear. "I have a girlfriend—Santana—"

"David." Paul said softly. "I love you no matter who you love. You are my son. You are my son, David."

"Dad…" Dave said, his face screwing up. "I… I'm not…"

"You haven't been happy in a long time." Paul said, putting a hand on Dave's shoulder. "It's because of this, and I know it. I just want you to be happy, son. Please. Please…" Paul failed to hide his fear. "I don't want to lose you. I love you too much."

Dave couldn't hold his tears and hugged his dad, putting his face in the crook of his dad's neck. Paul let a few tears squeeze out of his eyes as his son shook against him.

"I'm scared, Dad." Dave whispered. "I don't know what to do."

"I don't either." Paul muttered back. "All I know is that I will love you through it all. I promise. I promise."

And that was all Dave wanted to hear. With his father's words, he knew. He knew he was gay, he knew that he'd been trying to make himself think that he wasn't gay. He knew that he was trying to impress his father, that he thought his father would try and talk him out of it, try and tell him that he could change. He thought that he would be hated by everyone, he thought that he had no one… but Dave had his father. And that's all he really needed.


End file.
